Everything is Permitted
by PlagueXRoamer
Summary: Everything is permitted. To the Assassins, it is their Creed. To the Templars? They took it literally... Prototype X Assassin's Creed Crossover One-shot. Minor Spoilers for Assassin's Creed II, along with a Mind Screw of sorts.


Roamer: Greetings to all. I apologize for the shock my sister brought about when she posted that notice regarding my injuries in the Chilean earthquake. I have already healed up nicely, as they were not _too_ serious to begin with. That said, however, recovering allowed me to develop this idea, with our new video game possession being Assassin's Creed II, and this was brought about. After all, their Creed is not limited to just the Assassins themselves...

Disclaimer: I do not own Prototype or Assassin's Creed.

Roamer: Basic knowledge of the sequel, if only for the supporting characters and the basis of the implications introduced, is recommended, but it would not interfere with the understanding of the concept as long as you are aware of the plot in Assassin's Creed. Also, warnings for a mind screw.

Partially inspired by this little picture on deviantart:

zekarmisama(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Amnesia-Does-That-108718794

Mainly plays with the idea that GENTEK is a Templar organization, like Abstergo, and Alex's raging rampage through Manhattan was 'just as planned'.

* * *

Desmond Miles. Former bartender, used as a test subject by Abstergo Industries for their nefarious goals, before being rescued by Lucy Stillman, who was originally an employee of Abstergo before 'quitting' the old-fashioned way.

He discovered many things prior to his rescue: The Animus' ability to 're-live' his genetic memory, how his ancestors were Assassins, their sworn enemy the Knights Templar, how Abstergo were modern day Templars, and that Lucy was actually a part of a now severely-depleted group of modern day Assassins.

After re-living the memories of a separate ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Desmond was able to fend off an attack by Abstergo, which had located the Assassins' hideout, by using the skills he gained from walking in Ezio's footsteps (literally). Now he was in a truck, on the run along with Lucy and two other Assassins, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane.

And he was about to learn that some things should just never have been done.

"Oh god..."

Desmond shook his head, clearing the cobwebs in it, as he sat up from the Animus 2.0 and turned towards Rebecca, who was looking at something on her laptop and appeared to have extremely shocked her, from how her eyes were widened and her hand covering her mouth. Before he could ask, Lucy beat him to the chase.

"Rebecca, what's wrong?"

"This is what's wrong, come take a look!"

Desmond stood up, before walking over, to see a news article. Close behind him was Lucy, who had a troubled expression on her face if Desmond turned around. Desmond read the headline, unknowing of the slowly growing horror on Lucy's face as he recited each word.

"'Manhattan quarantined, military setting up martial law'...Alright, can someone tell me what's going on?"

"Oh god...Vidic you monster..."

Desmond tilted his head back at the mention of the name of the Abstergo scientist who had forced him into the Animus in the first place.

"Lucy, what's wrong? Do you have an idea about what's going on?"

"I don't 'have an idea what's going on', I KNOW what is going to happen, and that Vidic is going to condemn many people to a death they don't deserve!"

Alright, NOW Desmond was worried.

"Lucy...c'mon, talk to me. I want an idea on how bad this probably is."

"...Alright, but you'd better sit, cause this is going to be a big shock to you."

Warily heeding her advice, Desmond sat back down onto the Animus.

"As you already know by now, the Templars have their influence all over the place. Abstergo Industries also isn't the only 'pharmaceutical company' that they have. Another one, based in New York, is GENTEK, which is a front for a covert military section which is developing biological warfare, which is another front for an experiment by the Templars. The experiment's head, not the head of the corporation by the way, is a social psychopath by the name of Alex J. Mercer, who developed an existing virus into something much worse. The Templars had a plan which I caught wind of to use this virus to infect an individual, before manipulating him into killing several of their own pawns, while ensuring that others, both civilian and military, are also killed."

"Alright, now that makes absolutely no sense this time, Lucy. What's the point of killing their own pawns, along with collateral casualties?"

"Because the virus will turn the subject into something much worse. It can _absorb_ people, Desmond, absorbing their bodies, their memories, but most importantly their _genetic memory_! And it can _store_ those genetic memories!"

It soon dawned upon Desmond what was happening, his experience with the Animus coming to mind.

"But wait, didn't you say that the subject will be directed at their own pawns? What's the point of-"

"They're expendable, they don't _know_ of the experiment itself! And in the process, thousands will probably die at the same time, all absorbed by that...that _thing_!"

"And the Templars would probably force the guy into the Animus, and take their time going through all those people's genetic memories to see if any of the consumed people's ancestors knew more of the Pieces of Eden...and with that many people in Manhattan..." Desmond's heart was filled with shock as he came to that conclusion. Lucy merely nodded as she continued on.

"Exactly. And there's nothing the subject can do about it."

"But...how?"

Lucy only glanced at him, before uttering a single statement that filled him with great horror at the implications.

"An apple tree doesn't bear only a single fruit, Desmond."

* * *

In a darkened room, where the blinds were shut, a man's silhouette could be barely seen sitting at the only desk in the room, fingers entwined before him in deep thought. Just then, a phone rang, which the man picked up almost without a thought.

"Yes?"

"..." The voice on the other end is muffled.

"Ah, so the experiment is on schedule then, I suppose?"

"..."

"We both knew that losses were inevitable, but in the end the results are more than enough. Besides, they are expendable for the grand scheme."

"..."

"Very well then, I'll be on my way, after a short stop. We need the artifact anyway to even make this work."

The man replaced the receiver, before standing up and headed towards the door. As he opened it, he tilted backwards as light entered the room, revealing a receding hairline, along with a beard, to glance at a painting on the opposite wall for a brief moment.

"After all, _everything_ is permitted...I'm quite sure the Assassins will understand that."

He then stepped through into the hallway, closing the door on the way out. During that short time when light entered the room, the painting could be seen in its entirety: A man resting underneath a tree, holding up an apple which seemed to glow. If one looked closely and carefully, it could be seen that the apple was not natural, but artificial, almost mechanical indeed...

* * *

Roamer: There we go. I will not be continuing this (its called a ONE-SHOT for a reason), although anyone interested are welcome to try.

*Spoilers for ACII 'secret' content*

If one pays close attention to the details of the glyphs left behind by Subject 16, it can be seen that there are at least three Pieces of Eden that are 'Apples', of which at least two are within the possession of the Templars.


End file.
